Centrifugal casting apparatus



Dec. 30, 1941. v. A, szwED CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS Filed June 25, 1.941

INVENTUI? Patented Dec. 30, 1941 CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS victor A. szwea, Birmingham, Ala., asignar to United States Pipe and Foundry Companys-a i corporation of New Jersey y Application June 25, 1941, serial No. 399,589 h (o1. 2z6s 5 Claims.

The invention relates to centrifugal casting apparatus and involves improved means for guiding and supporting the pouring trough in that type of casting apparatus in which a rotary mold and a pouring trough are relatively movable 1ongitudinally with respect to each other to position the trough within the mold and to withdraw it therefrom during the casting operations.

In one arrangement of centrifugal casting apparatus heretofore used, the pouring trough is provided with a fixed support at one end and the rotary mold is movable longitudinally with respect to the trough so as to position the trough within the mold and to withdraw it therefrom, with the outlet end of the trough spaced outwardly from the mold upon completion of the casting operation. In such an arrangement the only customary support for the trough is that which is provided by a fixed support at the inlet end of the trough. Such a fixed support cannot be depended upon to guide the free end of the trough into the mold, and it is often inadequate to steady the trough suiciently and to prevent lateral movement of the trough in the mold during the casting operation. In using such apparatus, the practice heretofore has been to guide' the free or outlet end of the trough into the mold manually by means of a suitable manipulating bar placed beneath the free end of the trough. In this operation two men are required, one at each end of the bar. Attempts have been made heretofore to provide auxiliary means for supporting the pouring trough, in addition to the fixed support at the inlet end thereof. Inasmuch l as it is preferable to locate such auxiliary supporting means close to the mold or the mold carriage in order that the maximum advantages may be obtained, such a support, fixed to the mold carriage, has been found to interfere with the necessary operations in the use of the casting apparatus if it is immovably attached to the mold carriage in close proximity thereto. On the other hand, such auxiliary means does not furnish adequate support for the trough if permanently spaced too far from the carriage.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of means to guide the outlet end of the pouring trough into the mold at the beginning of the centrifugal casting operation, and thereby avoid injury to the trough or mold by accidental contact of the trough with the mold. Another object of the invention is the provision of means for steadying the pouring trough and supporting it against lateral movement during the casting operation. A further ob- J'ect of the4 invention isl the'fprovisi'on of auxiliary trough supporting means. which is arranged to move to and fro with the` mold in the move-v ments of the mold .longitudinally of the trough, and at the same time is arranged to'have limited movement longitudinally with respect to the mold in order that 'the supportmay be spaced different distances from 'the mold invarlous positions of the latter with respect to the trough. A further object of the'invention is the provision of means for moving such a support so as to position it close to the moldwhen the pouring trough is within the mold, andV to space it away-from the mold when the latter is in the position in which the pouring trough is withdrawn therefrom. A still further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for mounting such a support on the mold carriage to permit relative movement of the supportlongitudinally of the carriage or the mold. Still further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying` drawing' wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in elevation and partly cut away, showing centrifugal casting apparatus-with the improved trough supporting device embodied. therein, thesupporting device being shown in the position which ity occupies when the pouring trough is within the mold;

Fig.2 is an enlarged end elevational view, partly in section, of the apparatus illustrated in Fig.

Fig. 3 is anl enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the supporting device illustratedy in Fig. 1, the water box for the mold being shown y in dotted lines and the parts being shown in the position which they occupy when the pouring trough is Withdrawn from the mold; and

Fig. 4 isa plan Aview of the crossbar from which the trough supporting roller is suspended.

While Athe improved trough support disclosed herein may be utilizedwith other forms ofmolding apparatus, the improvementis illustrated in connection with centrifugal casting apparatus such as that shown and describedin Russell and Langenberg Patent No. 1,949,433, granted March 6, 1934, for Method and apparatus for casting pipes centrifugally.

As shown in the drawing herein, such apparatus comprises a mold l0 rotatably mounted in a water box Il which is provided with wheels I 2 and serves as a carriage forV the mold. Rotary an electric motor I3 mounted on the water box I I and operatively connected to the mold through suitable gearing I4. The wheels I2 of the mold carriage are arranged to travel upon rails I5 xed to the base Il of the casting apparatus. A piston I1 operates in a cylinder Il secured to the base of the apparatus and has its outer end connected to the mold carriage at Il for moving the carriage and the mold. to and fro on the rails Il during the casting operations. l y

A pouring trough 24 of well-known 'type is fixed at Its inlet end 2I to a support rigid with respect to the base of the apparatus, so that the free or outlet end 22 of the trough may move into and out of the mold Il as the mold carriage is moved back and forth. Molten metal is supplied to the pouring trough through a spout 23 curving downwardly from the outlet of a ladle 24 which is operated by a piston rod l25 connected to a piston in a suitable cylinder 24.

The particular casting apparatus described above is well known in the industry for casting pipe, and it is believed that no further description thereof is necessary to a complete understanding of its structure and operation. It will be understood that the apparatus is of the type in which a streamv of molten metal is deposited in the form of a spiral extending from end to end of the mold and upon solidication of the metal the casting is withdrawn by relative movement thereof longitudinally of the mold.

The present improved trough supporting mechanism comprises a pair of guide members 21, preferably cylindrical in form, one 'of which is mounted on each side of the water box II, adjacent one end thereof, by clamping brackets 28 embracing the cylinder and bolted to a plate 2l which is in turn secured to the water box II in any suitable manner. A plunger rod 38 is slidably mounted in each of the cylinders 21, 'preferably in a plurality of spaced bushings 3I secured in the cylinders by set screws 32 or other suitable means. The rear end of each cylinder 21 is preferably closed by means of a cap 33,

' and the front end of each is'provided with a cap 34 having an opening therein through which the forward end of the plunger extends. A washer 35 of felt or other suitable material may surround the plunger within the cap 34 in order to prevent the entrance -of splashes of metal and other foreign matter into the end of the cylinder 21. A disc 36 having a diameter slightly larger than the plunger 30 is secured on the inner end thereof by means of a screw 31, and

. by engagement with the innermost bushing 3l serves to limit the outward movement of each plunger in its cylinder.

nut 46 threaded thereon. A cover 41 may be placed over the upper end of the suspender rod 42 to protect spring 43 and nut 46 from splashes of metal, this cover being supported on the crossbar 38.

The suspender rod.42 is preferably square or of other angular cross section and the guideway therefor in the bracket 4I is of similar shape` in order to prevent the suspender rod from turning in the bracket. A hanger 48 on the lower end of the suspender rod 42 forms a sheave block for a grooved roller 48 mounted on a pin 50. The roller 49 engages beneath the bottom of the pouring trough 20, and due to the manner in which it is supported from the mold car-v riage it will be apparent that it moves back and forth with the carriage during the movements of the carriage in the casting operations. While the hanger shown in the drawing is provided with oppositely arranged side plates 5I, one of these side plates may be omitted if desired, in order to make the trough more accessible for cleaning.

In order that the roller 48 may be positioned close to the carriage at the beginning of the pouring operation, that is, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, means are provided for positively moving the plungers 3l inwardly in their cylinders just before the mold reaches the position shown in Fig. l. Such means comprises a pair of stop members, one of which is securedA on each side of the spout 23. These stop members are in the form of brackets 52 provided with upstanding posts 53 having threaded openings at their upper ends to receive threaded stop pins 54. The stop pins 54 may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with respect to the adjacent end of the water box II in order that they may push the crossbar 38 inwardly to the extent necessary to position the roller 48 at the desired distance from the water box II when the trough is within the mold for the beginning of the pouring operation.

A crossbar 38 having a length slightly greater than the width of the mold carriage is secured yon the front ends of the plungers 30 by nuts 38.

Two stop lugs 40 on the inner face of the crossbar 38 are spaced from each other such a distance as to contact with the edge of the front end of the water box II and thereby limit in-A ward movement of the plungers 30 in the guide cylinders 21. A bracket 4I on the outer face of the crossbar 38 provides; a vertical guideway for a suspender rod 42. The upper end of suspender rod 42 is reduced to receive a coiled spring 43 which resiliently supports the suspender rod againstfdownward movenent. The lower end of spring 43 rests upon a washer 44 on the upper edges of the crossbar 38 and the bracket 4I, and the upper end of spring 43 contacts with a washer 45 which is retained on the reduced upper end of the suspender rod 42 by an adjusting As the :water box begins its movement to the right, as shown in Fig. 1, the frictional resistance between the trough 20, with the molten metal therein, and the roller may be sufficient to pull the plungers 30 outwardly in their cylindrical supports 21 until the stop discs 36 engage with the innermost bushings as referred to above, and the roller will then move with the water box until the outlet end of the trough is withdrawn from the mold. In order to insure the withdrawal of the roller 49 away from the water box II as the outlet end of the trough is withdrawn from the mold, a positive stop means is provided in the form of a pair of stop bars 55 having stop pins 5B in their upper Vends for engagement with the inner face of the crossbar 38. The stop pins 56 are preferably threaded in bosses 51 so that they may be adjusted to space the roller 49 the desired distance from the free en d of the trough 2Iland from the Water box when the end of the trough is Withdrawn from the mold. The lower end of each of the stop bars 55 may be secured in a bracket 58 bolted on the uter face of the base I6 near the free end of trough 20.

As will be apparent from the above description of the structure and operation of the improved apparatus, the arrangement provides auxiliary means for supporting the pouring trough close to the carriage throughout the casting operations, and the auxiliary support is moved longiy 2,267,958 y trough is withdrawn from the mold. The spacing of the trough support from the carriage and mold in this manner leaves the outlet end of the pouring trough free of any parts which might otherwise interfere with the cleaning of this .end of the trough, and it also provides desirthe roller moves back land forth longitudinally of the trough, and the manner in which the upper end of the roller= suspender bar is supported permits the roller to be adjusted in a vertical direction as the position of the trough may require.

While one form of trough guiding and supporting apparatus is disclosed herein, together with certain arrangements of the parts thereof, this form and the arrangements of the parts are intended to be illustrative only and it will be understood that such changes are contemplated as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I desire to claim is: y

1. In centrifugal casting apparatus having a pouring trough, a rotatable mold, and a mold carriage relatively movable with respect to the trough to position the trough within the mold and Withdraw it therefrom with the outlet end of the trough spaced from the mold, the combination therewith oi' trough supporting .and guiding means comprising a pair vof cylinders mounted on said carriage for movement therewith, a plunger operable in each of said cylinders and having one end of each projecting outwardly of its cylinder beyond said carriage, a crossbar secured to the projecting ends of said plungers, means on said crossbar for guiding the outlet 'end of said trough into said mold and for holding said trough against lateral movement with respect to said mold, stop means for moving said crossbar toward said carriage as said carriage nears the limit of its movement in one direction, and stop means for moving said crossbar away from. said carriage as said carriage nears the limit of its movement in the opposite direction.

2. In centrifugal casting apparatus having a pouring trough, a rotatable mold, and a mold carriage relatively movable with respect to the trough to position the trough within the mold and withdraw it therefrom with the outlet end of the trough spaced from the mold, the combination therewith of a pair of spaced guide members mounted on "said carriage for moveA ment therewith, a rod slidably mounted in each of said guide members and having one end projecting outwardly beyond said carriage, a crossbar secured to the projecting ends of each of the rods, a hanger suspended from said crossbar, a roller mounted on said hanger and engagingbeneath said trough, fixed stop means engaging with said crossbar to move the same toward said carriage assaid carriage nears the limit of its movement to position said trough within said mold, and xed stop means engaging with said crossbar to move the same away from said carriage as said carriage nears the limit of itsl movement to withdraw 'said trough from said mold.

3. Centrifugal casting apparatus comprising a carriage, a mold rotatably mounted thereon, a pouring trough supported at one end and -having its opposite end free to extend into said mold, a guideway on each side of said carriage and movable therewith, a rod slidable in each guideway and havingr one end projecting outwardly beyond the end oi said carriage, a crossbar secured on the projecting ends of the rods, a hanger sus'- pended from said crossbar, a roller on said hanger and engaging beneath said trough to center the same in said mold, fixed stop means adjacent the supported end oi said trough for moving said roller toward said carriage, and iixed stop means adjacent the free end of said trough for moving said roller away from said carriage.

4. Mechanism for supporting the pouring of centrifugal casting apparatus, comprising a pair of guide members for attachment to a mold carriage, a rod slidably mounted in each guide member and projecting outwardly from one end thereof, a crossbar secured on the projecting ends of the rods, a hanger adjustably suspended on said crossbar, and a roller von said hanger for engaging beneath the pouring trough.

5. Mechanism for supporting the pouring trough of centrifugal casting apparatus, comprising a pair of cylindrical guide members for attachment to a mold carriage, spaced bushings secured in said guide members, a rod slidably mounted in the bushings in each guide member and having one end projecting outwardly of the guide member, a crossbar secured to the projecting ends of the rods, a hanger resiliently suspended from saldcrossbar, and a roller on the lower end of said hanger for engaging beneath the pouring trough.

VICTOR A. SZWED. 

